The Legacy Programme is Formula E and our Partners commitment to leave behind a long lasting heritage on sustainability through environmental improvements and creating social awareness.

Foundations

We have two official and International Foundation Partners: One Drop and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. It is our aim to identify a 3rd charity to support in each hosting city.

There is no denying that air quality and water are the most pressing global issues of our time. Transport emissions in cities exacerbate the problem, with the majority of environmental damage happening in metropolitan areas, producing around 75% of global emissions. Today, around 780 million people lack access to safe water while 2.4 billion are deprived of access to adequate sanitation. By 2025, 5.3 billion people, two-thirds of the world’s population, could lack access to enough water to meet their basic daily requirements.

Formula E believes that these issues are interdependent and are a result of serious environmental damage and climate change. That is why Formula E is dedicated to improving air quality in the city centres in which we race through the promotion of electric vehicles and clean energy, but also tackling the problem of sustainable safe water access. Air and water are basic human rights, of which many people around the globe are being deprived of, and this must change.

To address the water issue, Formula E has decided to join forces with One Drop, an expert in water, sanitation and hygiene programming. For air, Formula E has partnered with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Our collaboration with both allows us to fulfil our commitment.

With the help of our Foundation partners, Formula E has organised Gala Dinners on race weekends, during which auctions are held to raise funds which are then distributed between each official charity, benefiting a joint project. Last year, $1million was raised through these Gala Dinners which benefited a joint project in Guatemala, ensuring sustainable living conditions and safe water access, thus accelerating the economic development and quality of life of entire communities.

This year we will host 4 Gala Dinners: Mexico City and Long beach will benefit One Drop, Paris will benefit Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and the London Gala Dinner will benefit both.

Please click here to see how Formula E, One Drop and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have teamed up to make the world a better place to live.

Local Legacy

Our local Legacy Programme unfolds in many ways, not only do we wish to leave our race venues as we found them, but we wish to leave them in a better condition! This could include a series of infrastructural improvements. We also wish to establish a social legacy which focuses especially on young people because we believe in the magnanimous importance of educating the younger generations on sustainability.

In Season 1, the Formula E School Series aimed at informing children on electric vehicles by offering them a unique and interactive experience of building and racing their very own racing electric vehicle kit cars around the Formula E racetrack in the hosting cities.

From Season 3 onwards, we will be concentrating on the importance of children’s education in STEM subjects (Science, technology, engineering and maths) as an essential source for future innovation and sustainability. STEM subjects shape our everyday lives, and we believe in the incredible importance of the future of children of the next generation, and their education will have an important role in their future of the country and world in which they live

In the run up to the 2016 VISA London ePrix, Formula E collaborated with the sports charity StreetGames, as part of the Formula E Legacy Programme and our commitment to having a positive impact on the area in which we race. StreetGames were the perfect match to be our Official Local Charity Partner in London as we both share the vision of: Sport, educating children, social inclusion, changing attitudes, creating opportunities, creativity and innovative engagement.

StreetGames are a charity whose aim is to make sports more accessible to young people from the lowest socio-economic groups around the UK. Not only are they increasing health and wellbeing in these young people but are dedicated to lowering youth crime and unemployment through getting kids active, teaching them how to sustain themselves and utilising sports as a tool of creativity and empowerment. They do this in a unique manner, tailoring each project to fit the community in which it serves.

Before the race weekend, our number one British Formula E driver Sam Bird headed back to his hometown Roehampton to get involved in a mini-football festival which brought together a number of different community groups in the area. Showing off his impressive footy skills, Sam also got a chance to speak to the kids and share the story of his road to success and offer some words of advice. A huge inspiration, a boy who grew up just around the corner, Sam told the kids, ‘Whatever you want to be in life, whether you want to be a footballer, a mechanic or a Racing Driver. Whatever you want to be in life, all of you can achieve it if you work hard enough and if you push yourself to the limits to achieve that goal.’

Over the weekend at the VISA London ePrix in Battersea Park, fans headed over to StreetGames area where they had created a fun and exciting area where fans could try out some zorbing, bubblefootball and other activities! The StreetGames volunteers had the opportunity to interact with our fans to tell of the history and background of the projects and initiatives of the charity, and to spread the StreetGames message.

Please support StreetGames in their mission to bring sports to as many young people from disadvantaged areas in the UK as possible. Please follow this link to donate to StreetGames and support their worthy cause.

At the 2016 VISA London ePrix we were also very honoured to host the group Cherished Memories for the day. Cherished Memories are a charity which gives an unforgettable experience to children who have life threatening illnesses or who are terminally ill. We had so much fun with the kids, their siblings and family watching the race, exploring the eVillage and going for a special visit into the garages to meet some of the drivers and find out more about the Formula E race cars. The charity takes pictures and videos which they make a compilation to last as a very much cherished memory to all of the families and friends.

Cherished Memories also came along to the Formula E pre-season testing at Donington Park this August to see all of the team’s trialling the cars in anticipation of the upcoming season.

If you would like to find out more, or support Cherished Memories and their incredible mission to give an unforgettable experience to these children, please follow this link.